Trio showing America that they've got talent

Belleview church music director Fernando Varela's group “Forte” rising to top on “America's Got Talent”

Fernando Varela performs during Mass at St. Paul National Catholic Church in Belleview, Fla. on Sunday, Sept. 1, 2013. Varela and the group he created, "Forte," are rising to the top on America's Got Talent.

Last Modified: Sunday, September 1, 2013 at 7:08 p.m.

Fernando Varela performs during Mass at St. Paul National Catholic Church in Belleview, Fla. on Sunday, Sept. 1, 2013. Varela and the group he created, "Forte," are rising to the top on America's Got Talent.

Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Star-Banner

As St. Paul's music director, Varela recognized most of the 200-plus parishioners jammed into the small sanctuary of the historic church founded in 1951 on Southeast 112th Street just off Abshier Boulevard.

There was a resounding ovation as he walked to a lectern, where his laptop of music selections awaited.

The ovation resembled the respect large crowds give an orchestra conductor just before a big performance.

Dressed in a grey tuxedo-like suit jacket, with black lapels, Varela started the music after a brief speech and performed Andrew Lloyd Webber's “Pie Jesu” from Requiem.

To many, the choice might have sounded familiar. That's because it was a song Varela sang with two other members of the operatic trio known as “Forte,” the latest sensation on the television show “America's Got Talent.”

Forte has risen to the top of the popular reality television show. Out of thousands of auditions, only 48 talented individuals and groups from across the country made it to live shows at the famed Radio City Music Hall in New York City over the summer.

Forte not only advanced to last week's semifinals, the group on Wednesday was voted by America into the final 12. On Wednesday night's show, many of the four famous judges — “shock jock” Howard Stern, comedian Howie Mandel, model Heidi Klum and former Spice Girls member Melanie Brown, known as Mel B — crowned Forte as one of the front-runners in the competition.

On Sept. 10, Forte will compete again in hopes of making the final-four finale on Sept. 17. The winner of the competition will receive $1 million and a contract to perform in Las Vegas.

“Wow, wow, wow and wow,” Klum said. “That's all I have to say. So good, I loved it.”

On Tuesday night, Forte sang the contemporary classic “Unchained Melody” — the song featured in the movie “Ghost” — with an operatic flare.

“From the opening note, you had me,” Stern said. “This is what I have been waiting for. I could see Demi Moore and Patrick Swayze going up to heaven together.”

Forte's famed journey began thanks to a YouTube video of Varela singing that attracted the attention of another opera singer named Josh Page, 23, of New York. Page also had been featured on YouTube singing at a Josh Groban concert.

The two men talked by phone and decided to find a third person for their group.

That person was Hana Ryu of South Korea, who after the first audition was replaced with opera powerhouse Sean Panikkar.

The first time the group performed together was on the “America's Got Talent” audition stage.

Varela has jokingly called the group opera's first “boy band” in other interviews and said Sunday he was humbled by Forte's sudden rise onto the national stage.

“I've been working my whole life for this opportunity,” Varela said Sunday. “And I'm living it.”

After brief comments about his experiences on the show, he shared a secret about the leader of the St. Paul parish. The secret was that the Rev. Mark J. Niznik was a standup comedian before he followed God's calling.

Last week, Niznik and Varela were talking about life in general. That was when Varela said “America's Got Talent” producers wanted to see 90 seconds of Niznik's best comedy routines.

So before Varela sang for the packed house, Niznik gave his routine, which was filmed. It brought down the congregation in laughter.

Niznik explained the difference between Roman Catholics and Polish Catholics. He said one difference is that Polish Catholic priests are allowed to marry.

The reason, Niznik quipped, is so that he could “suffer like anybody else.”

At the end of the service, Niznik — whose voice sounded similar to that of comedian Patton Oswalt — invited everyone to go to Pasta Faire of Belleview.

Varela said after the service that he will be heading back to New York on Tuesday to rehearse for Sept. 10's final 12 performance.

Has Varela ever been nervous performing for a packed house of 6,000 at radio City Music Hall? No, he said.

“I just feel ready,” he said. “I don't let nerves get into the way.”

He looked at the crowd and thanked everyone “from The Villages and here” for supporting him.

Contact Joe Callahan at 867-4113 or joe.callahan@starbanner.com. Follow him on Twitter at JoeOcalaNews.

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